According to Reuters, more than 1,000 bodies were found on September 12 after two dams broke in the eastern Libyan city of Derna following prolonged heavy rains, causing devastating floods that swept many residential areas into the sea.
The disaster occurred in the context of the divided North African country, with the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) controlling the east and the internationally recognized Government of National Unity controlling the west.
A day earlier, LNA spokesman Mr Ahmed al-Mismari said the estimated death toll was more than 2,000, with an estimated 5,000 – 6,000 people missing in the floods.
More pessimistic, Mr Tamer Ramadan, envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said the number of missing was up to 10,000 people. He also said the death toll was “very large” and could reach thousands in the coming days.
“I have just returned from Derna. What a disaster. Bodies are everywhere – in the sea, in the valley, under buildings. I am not exaggerating when I say that 25% of the city is gone” – Mr. Hichem Chakiot, minister of civil aviation in the government in eastern Libya, told Reuters on September 12.
View of the destroyed city of Derna after the September 11 flood disaster – Libya Photo: Anadolu
Derna residents posted videos on social media showing entire neighborhoods along the banks of the Wadi Derna river destroyed, with several former apartment buildings partially collapsed into the mud.
Local officials said many bodies were still lying under debris or washed out to sea in areas around the city. He also called for the support of the international community to overcome the consequences of this terrible disaster.
According to the AP, in the immediate future, emergency response forces including the military, government workers, volunteers and the public are trying to use inflatable boats to dig through the debris and search for the bodies of victims.
The heavy rains that caused the above disaster were caused by the impact of Hurricane Daniel, which swept across the Mediterranean on September 10, causing flooding of the city of Derna as well as other areas on the coast. The country’s second largest city Benghazi is also affected.
Although the Government of National Unity does not control the east, it still sends relief supplies to the city of Derna. Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dabiba said a plane carrying 14 tons of supplies, medicine, equipment, body bags and 87 medical staff departed from the city of Misrata for Benghazi.
Several foreign governments, including Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar also offered support in terms of forces and supplies…
Another North African country Morocco is also in pain after the terrible earthquake that occurred on the night of September 8 (local time). On September 12, the death toll in this disaster increased to 2,800.
Local rescue workers, along with teams from Spain and Britain, are working hard to find survivors. Some countries – like UAE, Qatar, Algeria – have sent relief material to the country. State television reported that the Moroccan government could accept similar offers from other countries.
Due to the large-scale destruction, rescue operations are still facing many difficulties. Furthermore, houses in disaster-affected areas are primarily made of mud bricks, which disintegrate almost completely when collapsed.
